Phytophthora Management in Citrus Nurseries1
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General Sanitation Practices
Do not enter greenhouses after visiting citrus groves.
Keep head house area and greenhouse walkways swept and free of debris.
Don't use surface water as an irrigation water source.
It is recommended to have a disinfesting copper footbath at each house entry.
Tools
Shovels should be disinfested before and after each use and should NEVER touch the floor during storage.
Hose nozzles should never contact the ground.
Hose nozzles should remain on bench tops or hooks when stored.
If the hose nozzle contacts the ground, decontaminate immediately (see other side).
Buckets, Pots, and Tubs
Should only be filled with clean potting media.
If pots have sat on the floor, do not stack pots on top of one another.
Do not store pots directly on the ground or within a splash zone.
Potting Media
Where possible, source potting media from Phytophthora-free supplier.
Store potting media on a concrete pad and periodically disinfest the pad.
Storage areas should be protected from wind and rain.
Pile should be kept covered.
Restrict access to media storage area.
Station a copper footbath at entrance of storage area.
Footwear should be disinfested at each entry.
Tractor tires, scoops, and shovels used to move media should be disinfested as needed.
General Sanitation Management
Sanitizing should be at the start of each workday for personnel and tools, when moving among plants within or between benches, or when moving from one house to another within the nursery.
All equipment should be re-sanitized if dropped or if used in a non-clean area.
When hand watering, keep water splash to a minimum.
Nursery workers should not stand on or use tables or pots as a step.
